The month of August began with the American public distracted by the new Jo Stafford hit, "You Belong to Me," and otherwise following American successes at the Helsinki Olympics. It belied the harsh realities of combat in Korea.

The fight for "Old Baldy," or Hill 266 that began in July continued into August when American soldiers finally recaptured the crest of the hill from the Chinese early on August 1 and dug in to prepare for a counterattack. That night the Chinese fired more than 2,500 mortar and artillery shells at the crest of the hill where the U.S. 23rd Infantry Regiment was entrenched. Mines, hastily dug bunkers, and additional barbed wire helped to strengthen the UNs hold on Old Baldy on August 2, and extremely heavy and effective artillery fire broke up another enemy assault on August 4.

Another major battle erupted on August 12 as troops from the First Marine Division captured Hill 122 east of Panmunjom and then endured four days of repeated attacks by the stubborn Chinese, who greatly outnumbered the American defenders and pummeled them with artillery and small-arms fire. The fighting became a contest of wills as the two sides often fought hand-to-hand and United Nations aircraft provided desperately needed close-air support. In the end, the Marines hung onto the hill, but wouldn't have long to savor the victory as the Chinese would attack again in September. The Marines nicknamed the hard-fought piece of real estate "Bunker Hill" in homage to the battle between the British and the Americans during the Revolutionary War.

On August 29 the largest air raid of the Korean War took place as 1,403 United Nations aircraft, including planes from aircraft carriers, bombed the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. Air superiority was one of the U.N.'s greatest assets, extending its reach well beyond the front lines and the brutal combat that characterized the fighting on the ground.

Illinois Korean War Memorial

The Illinois Korean War Memorial is located in Springfield's Oak Ridge Cemetery, the same cemetery that contains the Lincoln Tomb. Oak Ridge is the nation's second most visited burial ground behind only Arlington National Cemetery.

Dedicated on June 16, 1996, the memorial consists of a 12-foot-tall bronze bell mounted on a granite base. At the circumference of the base are four niches, each with a larger-than-life figure representing a branch of the armed services. Inscribed on the base are the 1,754 names of Illinoisans killed in Korea.

The Illinois Korean War Memorial is administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and may be visited daily free of charge.

Korean War Veterans Oral History Project

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum's Oral History Program offers "Veterans Remember," a collection of interviews with Illinois residents about their wartime experiences, at the Library's website, www.alplm.org/oral_history/home.html. The interviews concern the experiences of Illinois veterans who fought in several conflicts, including the Korean War, as well as the experiences of those on the home front. Visitors to the website can listen to or watch the interviews in their entirety. Several of the interviews have transcripts, and most have still images as well.

Website visitors will need a computer capable of playing MP3 audio files or MPG compressed video files in order to listen to the interviews. The transcripts and still images are also accessible. Volunteers conducted and edited many of the interviews and developed the transcripts that accompany them.

Korean War National Museum

The Korean War National Museum (KWNM) celebrates the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War with a new Board of Directors, new professional staff, and a renewed focus on getting a world-class museum built now, in the lifetime of the Korean War veterans. Recent news media reports outlined a proposal of the KWNM to obtain 7,000 square feet of prime space on Navy Pier in Chicago for a state-of-the-art, world-class museum where visitors could come to honor and learn about the service and sacrifices of the Americans, South Koreans and their UN Allies in the "forgotten victory." Those plans are continuing to be developed, and the KWNM hopes to be able to share some exciting news soon. Meanwhile, the Denis J. Healy Freedom Center, located at 9 South Old State Capitol Plaza in Springfield, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. The KWNM welcomes donations of photographs, documents, diaries, and artifacts of those who served in the Korean War. To learn more about the KWNM, or to volunteer or donate, please visit www.kwnm.org or look for the Museum Facebook.

Korean War Booklet

The Illinois Korean Memorial Association, an all-volunteer organization, has published a booklet, A Brief History of the Korean War, copies of which have been provided free of charge to public libraries, high schools and junior high schools in Illinois. Individuals may obtain a copy by sending a $10 check or money order to: Illinois Korean Memorial Association, P.O. Box 8554, Springfield, IL 62791.

Tax deductible donations are welcome. One hundred percent of all donations go to the book project and to the upkeep of the Illinois Korean War Memorial.

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